Richard Foster - Between Sense & Uncertainty

This self-published monograph of still life imagery by Hole & Corner contributor Richard Foster compiles some of the highlights from his past ten years’ of work – a period which also covers the decade since a car accident during a family holiday in Australia left him paralysed him from the chest down.

The collection of abstract and figurative photographs marks a point at which (in the words of ITV News, who covered the opening of his accompanying exhibition in 2017), ‘spontaneity has given way to patience’. In truth, Foster’s 20-year body of work – which has seen him establish himself as one of the world’s most respected still life photographers, with a roster of clients ranging from global luxury brands to glossy fashion magazines – has always specialised in adding his own unique magic to inanimate objects.

From lovingly shot cars and homeware to the subtle way he captures the shape of a brandy glass – defined only by light catching its edges in the darkness – Foster is a master of his art. (You need only look at some of the stunning cover images he’s taken for Hole & Corner as further evidence.)

The title of this Pentagram-designed book –Between Sense & Uncertainty–summarises not only his photographic style but also his own personal journey over the past decade. Speaking about Back Up, the leading spinal injury charity that Foster has donated to from profits of the book and show, he says, ‘they reset my mind and showed me what I could do rather than what I couldn’t do’.